The First Seat

Several days passed after Azami's visit as many things started to change

Isshiki Satoshi, Kuga Terunori, and Megishima Tosuke; all three of them were relieved of their seats in the elite ten by Azami himself and then the central hunt, every single resistance to central were hunted by the Elite Ten and their followers as many RS were shut down.

Many were expelled while some surrendered as all hope seems lost for Totsuki

Erina sat on her bed as she looks to the floor

Everything, everyone, they were slowly turned into slaves by her own father

"Hey" the door to her room was opened as Soma came in "you feeling alright?"

Erina nodded as Soma went and sat beside her

"Are you still feeling bad about what your father did to the others?" Soma said as Erina nodded again

Soma sighs before he patted her head

"don't worry, I won't let him do anything to you. I promise" Soma said as Erina nodded while leaning her head to Soma's shoulder

"can you….stay here….with me?" Erina muttered out as Soma heard her and nodded

Soma pulled her into a half hug as he leans his head to Erina's

The two stayed together for a good 2 hours before Hisako came running in

"Erina-sama!" she screamed out

"Hisako!" Erina looks in surprise and in joy as Hisako hugs her

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you!" Hisako cried out "I had to escape Azami's watch, and then reasoned with my family and then and then.."

"it's fine Hisako," Erina told her "I'm just glad that you're alright"

Hisako nodded before the two hugs each other again

"if you're alright, then where is Alice and Kurokiba-kun?" Erina asked

"they're alright," Hisako told her "after they got caught by the security, they were released after 2 weeks of house grounding"

"right now, they're having a shokugeki with a central member"

"knowing them, they will win by a landslide," Soma said with a smile

"you're right" Erina agreed as well while nodding

On cue came Yuki running in and was exclaim on how there was a Shokugeki between Kurokiba and Central's goons that ended in Kurokiba's victory

Erina and Soma smiled to each other

A few days later, Erina was in class as she was with Hisako

The class was French literature and Erina was making a dish that was perfectly created

"amazing, Erina-sama!" "perfection!" "you've outdone yourself yet again!"

The teachers complimented her with praises and praises but Erina didn't want to heart them as the teachers were now part of central

After the class, Erina and Hisako left the class and headed to the exit hallway

"let's return to the Polar Star Dorm, Erina-sama," Hisako said to her "Tadokoro and the others are preparing lunch for us"

"yes" Erina replied with a smile before Erina's eyes look to the corner and spotted Soma with the first seat of the Elite Ten, Tsukasa Eishi

"that's!" Erina exclaimed as she and Hisako quietly watched Soma and Eishi conversed with each other

"would you be interested in becoming my righthand man, Yukihira-kun?" Eishi asked Soma who had his arms crossed and expression unreadable

"Is this some sort of joke?" Soma asked as the tension was quite thick between them

"then how about we have a small Shokugeki then?" Eishi suggested as he takes out a knife from his suitcase

"WHAT!?" Erina and Hisako screamed in their mind as a cooking match against the first seat is like doing suicide

"then if I win, you would give that first seat of yours to me, right?" Soma said as Eishi nodded "and If I lose, I will turn towards Central?" Eishi nodded again as Soma takes off his headband from his wrist before putting it on his forehead

"fine by me, Tsukasa-senpai," Soma said as he folded his sleeves

"Is he crazy!? Tsukasa Eishi is the first seat! And the White Knight of the Round Table!" Hisako whispered screamed as she thought that Soma would lose

Erina watched them as Eishi started cooking before being followed by Soma himself

The two continued on cooking as Erina and Hisako keeps on watching it

"they're done," Tsukasa and Soma said at the same time as they finished their dish at the same speed

"Amazing, they're skills are nearly comparable to each other" Hisako said in amazement

Tsukasa and Soma took a bite of each other's dishes before Soma clenches his fists tight

"you won," Soma said as he gritted his teeth hard

"what!? Even Yukihira…..he couldn't defeat Tsukasa Eishi" Hisako looks in shock as Erina watches Soma

"that's fine," Tsukasa said "but our little bet is off, for now, I have urgent work to attend to do"

"what are you saying? The rules were simple" Soma said to the white-haired man "I lose, then why?"

"oh, it's because I remembered that even having a right-hand man, I would always be nervous with that person, so I would like to cancel it," Tsukasa said as he reached towards the door

Hisako and Erina quickly hides in the corner as Tsukasa walks the other way around

After checking to see if Tsukasa Eishi was gone, Erina and Hisako went into the classroom where they see Soma looking at Tsukasa's dish

"Soma" Erina called out to Soma who turns to look to her with a smile

"oh, hey" Soma greeted the two of them

"did you had a Shokugeki with Tsukasa-senpai?" Erina asked as Soma rubbed the back of his head while grinning a bit

"yeah" Soma replied, "I thought that if I could win the first seat, I could challenge the dean next"

"what?! That kind of thing is impossible! And besides! Shokugeki can only be commenced by students and teachers! Not the dean!" Hisako exclaimed

"Yeah, sorry about that" Soma said with a laugh

Erina looks to the man before to the dishes

She went to them and tasted each one

"his dish….was superior" Erina muttered out in surprise as Soma's dish was delicious but Tsukasa Eishi's dish had deeper flavor than that of Souma's

"Erina-sama?" Hisako looks to her as Erina shook her head

"it's nothing," Erina said with a smile "let's go back to the dorm"

Everyone was at their residence as the tv was on for a broadcast of some sort.

Central was appearing on the TV as Tsukasa Eishi appeared and made a speech about something related to the next exams.

"I hate these kinds of things," Tsukasa whined when Rindou pushed him onto the stage where the camera was recording.

"Just hurry up and start talking." The redhead yelled.

"Very professional." I sighed.

"Hehehe." Hisako giggled a bit.

"Umm yes hello this is Tsukasa Eishi of Central." The pale-haired boy fixed his papers "Today we have a message for you all, the schedule of the promotion exams has been decided."

"This is the final event for the first years." The First Seat explained "Last year the class dropped from 190 to 76, it is a draconian trial indeed. You could say it was the incarnation of the practices of the old Totsuki. However it will be different now, you are all now free from that antiquated tradition thanks to the work of Headmaster Azami."

"This year the exam will be a review of the Azami method as long as you properly implement our methodologies that you've learned in class you'll be able to clear these exams with ease. You need only stay calm and you'll pass with ease, we no longer need to be bound by the chains of old."

"By following Central you can all become first-class cooks, however those who refuse to abide by the policies of Headmaster Azami should consider the grave consequences…umm, that's it broadcast over…boy, I never want to do one of those again."

Soma reached for the remote as he turned off the tv

"something is up," Soma said "I can feel it"

"It's clear Central plans on taking all the Radical elements out of the population and crush the remaining rebels in this exam," Hisako told him.

"he wants to expel us but not for Erina," Soma said crossing his arms and lifted his feet up to the table "he is planning something and I plan to find out about it"

"Hey, where is Erina-chi anyway?" Yuki asked as they look around for the blonde mistress

"did Azami came and kidnapped her while we were watching tv!?" Hisako panicked

"relax," Soma said as he stands up "she's at my room right now"

"eh? Why do you know?" Yuki asked as Soma was heading upstairs

"she will be safer there" Soma replied as he goes up the stairs

Erina was in Soma's room with a sewing kit in her hands

Her hands tried to put in a string through a needle but every time she tried, it would just fail

"come on," Erina said as she tried so many times while Megumi and the others make it look so easy

Knock knock

"Erina?" Soma's voice called out as it made Erina's finger got stung by the needled in her hand

"ow!" Erina yelped in pain a bit before Soma came in

"are you okay?" Soma asked as he sees Erina sucking on her finger

He sat down beside her as he gently looks at her hand and sees a little drop of blood from the finger

"Alright, I got just the thing," Soma said as he takes out a band-aid from his pocket

"why do you have a band-aid with you?" Erina asked as Soma rips open the plastic and takes out the band-aid

"a good chef must always be prepared, right?" Soma said with a smile

He bandaged Erina's finger before giving it a kiss

"there, all better" Soma said with a smile as Erina blushed to the action

"what were you trying to do?" he asked as he threw away the plastic to a small trash bin

Erina frowned a bit as she reached into her pocket and takes out her ripped friendship bracelet, the same bracelet, she received from Soma that many years ago

"I was trying to fix this" Erina said as she showed it to Soma

Soma looks at the bracelet before taking it into his hand and inspects it

"What happened to it?" Soma asked as he takes the needle and string from Erina and inserted the string through the hole of the needle

"my f-father did it," Erina said as Soma stopped his action and looks to her

"he took everything" she spoke out "he took away grandfather…..he's destroying Totsuki…..he's corrupting everyone's mind…..everything is going to disappear…..everyone is going to disappear…"

Erina's body started to tremble as her heart was chained up by Azami's cruel teaching

"then….this dorm is going to disappear…..Hisako and everyone will disappear…then you will disappear…. I don't want that"

Tears started to pour up in her eyes as she trembled non stop

"I don't want to be alone…I don't want to be alone!... Soma!" Erina cried in tears before Soma looks to her and caresses her cheeks

Erina reached for his hands as he wipes away her tears

"I won't disappear….not this time…" Soma told her as he gave her a smile "Arato and the others..we will always be with you, no matter what"

"even if I have to challenge all of the Elite Ten, I'm going to make sure that I keep my promise to you"

"your promise?" Erina asked as Soma nodded before taking her hand

"my promise…is that I will always be with you…no matter what," Soma said as he slides in her fully repaired bracelet on her wrist "I won't disappear….till I fulfill that promise, you can count on that"

Erina felt a smile forming upon her lips as Soma's voice brought comfort to her heart

"you haven't had dinner yet, right?" Soma asked as Erina nodded

"then let me make you something of Yukihira's special menu," Soma said as he takes off his cloth around his hand before wrapping it around his head

Erina watches as Soma went to the kitchen, he started taking out ingredients as Erina waited for him to finish cooking

His every movement was precise, his hands were coordinated, every single step he took was perfect.

"it's done," Soma said as he presented a lidded bowl to Erina "Yukihira Style, Tempura Tamago Don"

Erina opened the lid as the first thing she sees was a big fried egg

"dig in," Soma said as Erina takes the chopsticks and hold them in her fingers

She took a bite out of the dish as she was sent to a flower field

In the flower field, was only herself as she was dressed in a white sundress

A vast yet beautiful flower field all to herself before she turns around and sees Soma behind her wearing a white t-shirt and white jeans

The two looks at each other before the sun sets and creates beautiful scenery upon them

Erina appeared back in Soma's room as the man sat in front of her with a smile

"How was it, Erina?" he asked Erina who looks to the dish in her hands

Erina took another bite before another and then another as she was not stopping herself

After scarfing down the entire meal, Erina let out a satisfied sigh as her bowl was now empty

"thank you…for the meal" Erina said with a smile but Soma heard something else from her words

"thank you….Soma" Erina's voice spoke in his mind as Soma smiled

"Your tempura don… it reminded me…..the joy of cooking…." Erina smiled as a tear fell upon her bowl

"let's go, Erina," Soma said as he stands up and lent a hand towards her "to the future"

Erina looks to his hand as she remembered the time when she met Joichiro, the time she met Soma, the time she spent with him, everything of joy returned to her

"yes…" Erina said as her hand reached for his "…to the future"